LL Cool J headlines first tour in 30 years on ‘THE F.O.R.C.E. Live’
The celebration of hip-hop is coming to a city near you. Live Nation Urban and Rock The Bells recently announced a tour fit for the 50th anniversary of the genre.
“The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live” will honor hip-hop’s influence on the world with a tour headlined by rap icon LL Cool J.
The Kennedy Center Honoree, two-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, will be headlining a tour for the first time in 30 years, and he’s bringing some legendary friends with him.
The F.O.R.C.E. Live starts on June 25 in Boston, MA, at T.D. Garden before stopping at the “birthplace of hip-hop,” Brooklyn, NY, at Barclays Center on June 27. The show will visit arenas across the U.S. and Canada, and close out on September 3 in Los Angeles, CA, at Kia Forum.
The memorable performance tribute to hip-hop at the Grammy’s earlier this year was just a taste of what fans will get on this tour. All 24 stops will feature live performances with renowned Grammy Award-winning hip-hop band The Roots, the infamous DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip. To highlight the greatness of the genre, Live Nation is introducing a rotating lineup of special guest performances.
The press release for the tour stated that it will ditch the standard performance format consisting of an opening act followed by the headliner, and will instead opt for “a nonstop musical mash-up with artist performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots. In select cities, the bill also boasts a rotating cast of iconic acts, including Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Common, MC Lyte, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ice T, Juvenile, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, De La Soul, Goodie Mob, Jadakiss, Rick Ross and more.”
The 55-year-old rapper shared his excitement about hitting the road for the first time in over three decades. “I’m excited to be on my first Arena tour in 30 years. It’s proof that our culture is more viable than ever. Get ready for some non stop beats and rhymes. See you this summer!”
Live Nation also revealed that Verizon customers and Citi cardholders will get exclusive presale privileges.
Verizon customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows through Verizon Up beginning Tuesday, April 25 at 12 p.m. local time through Thursday, April 27 at 10 p.m. local time. Citi cardmembers will also have access to presale tickets for select shows starting Tuesday, April 25 at 12 p.m. local time, through Thursday, April 27 at 10 p.m. local time via the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details, Citi cardholders can visit www.citientertainment.com, while Verizon customers can go to Verzion Up’s website for more details.
Ticket presales will begin Thursday, April 27, between 10 a.m.-10 p.m. local time. Tickets can be purchased through Live Nation presale, Ticketmaster presale, or a local venue and radio presales. General ticket sales will start on Friday, April 28th, at 10 AM local time. Tickets will be available here.
“The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live” Tour Dates
6/25: Boston, MA at TD Garden
6/27: Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center
6/28: Newark, NJ at Prudential Center
6/29: Toronto, ON at Scotiabank Arena
7/1: Baltimore, MD at CFG Bank Arena
7/2: Washington, DC at Capital One Arena
7/4: Atlanta, GA at State Farm Arena
7/6: Hollywood, FL at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
7/8: Raleigh, NC at PNC Arena
7/9: Charlotte, NC at Spectrum Center
8/12: Cleveland, OH at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
8/13: Chicago, IL at United Center
8/18: Detroit, MI at Little Caesars Arena
8/19: St. Louis, MO at Enterprise Center
8/20: Indianapolis, IN at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
8/22: Memphis, TN at FedEx Forum
8/23: New Orleans, LA at Smoothie King Center
8/24: Ft. Worth, TX at Dickies Arena
8/25: Houston, TX at Toyota Center
8/27: Albuquerque, NM at Sandia Casino Amphitheater
8/29: Denver, CO at Ball Arena
9/1: San Francisco, CA at Chase Center
9/2: Las Vegas, NV at MGM Grand Garden Arena
9/3: Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.
This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 2:00 PM with the headline "LL Cool J headlines first tour in 30 years on ‘THE F.O.R.C.E. Live’."